Rail bond



A. J. MCKERNAN 2,213,990

RAIL BOND i Y Filed March 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 10, 1940.- A. J. McKERNAN RAIL BOND Filed March l, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 and ENST J SB'OL @al l Patented Sept. 10, 1940 vUNITED STATES 2,213,990 PATENT oFFlcE rRAIL BOND Amaldi. Maxaman, Richmond nin, N. Y., ana Ernest Jr Sabol, Worcester, Mass., assignors to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporationof New Jersey Application March 1,1938, serial No. 193,370 s loiairms. (ci. 173-278) 'Ihis invention relates to rail bonds of the type adapted to be installed by welding methods, one of the objects being to provide a bond thatcan be installed by any one of theA common types 'of welding methods. Other objects may be inferred from the following disclosure.

Several specific examples of bonds embodying the features of the present invention are illus-` trated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1 andl2 aretop and side views of the second example.

Figures 8 and 9 are top and side views of a third example.

Figures and llare sectional views showing this third example installed in two different positions. I

Figure 12 is a View similar to Figures 10 and 11 but showing a modification of the third example.

The rail bond constituting the first example includes a conductor I kmade of a plurality of in-Y tertwisted wires held together at .their ends by ferrules 2, the wires and ferrules being butt-welded to terminals 3. Preferably, the conductor material is copper while the terminals are made of solid steel, although this is not a necessary feature of the invention.

Each of the terminals 3 includes a head having a rail iitting side 4, the top of this head adjacent the side 4 being recessed to provide a cup 5 for receiving molten welding metal when the side 4 is fitted against a rail. Figures 3 and 4 show how the welding metal may be deposited in this cup. It will be noted that the head is con-` structed to provide a solid metal wall 6 between the end of the conductor I and the cup 5, s'o the Welder does not have to concern himself with the problemof obtaining a firm welded union with a plurality of wires. Furthermore, the cup provided by the terminals prevents the welding metal from wandering, whereby copper alloy welding rods may be used without fear of the molten metal deposited by them running oi from the weld location, as it would otherwise be prone to do. Due to the provision of the cup, the bond can be arc-welded with a steel electrode, flamewelded with a copper flux rod, arc-welded with a copper electrode, etc.

The terminal head is also characterized by having an outer side 1 opposite the side 4, that J tapers outwardly from the conductor land -0 Figures 6 and 7 are top and side views of the` smoothly merges with the rail fitting side 4. Furthermore, the head has a top 8 .that tapers downwardly away from the conductor fI Due to this tapered construction the bond heads being disclosed are not subject to easy dislodgment 5 by` dragging train equipment. VThis function is further aided if the welding metal` is smoothly deposited in the manner shownby Figures 3 and 4.

It will also be noted that the recess providing 1,0 the cup 5 has a smoothly rounded contour I throughout, this preventing arcing between undesirable points during welding by the electric method,` and in all events promoting a sound weld.

To still further promote production of a sound 15 weld, the terminals 3 are, as previously mentioned, constructed of solid metal, preferably n steel, and it may now be noted that, as shown by the drawings, the terminals are relatively massive whereby the head portion provides a suf- 20 ficient mass of solid metal surrounding the recess providing the cup 5 to permitthe terminal head to safely attaina temperature substantially as high as that to which the adjacent rail metal is heated during welding, whereby the difliculties 25 usually experienced from welding a hotter part to a colder part can be avoided.

The modificationl illustrated by Figure 5 involves the same parts except that the ends of'the conductor l with their surrounding ferrules 2 30 are butt-welded to the terminals so as to extend therefrom at an angle to the part ofthe terminal head providing the cup 5 in such manner that the conductor may be properly arranged while the cup remains level and so performs its 35 function with maximum effectiveness. The arrangement in the illustrated case is such as to provide a smooth loop which is` sometimes considered desirable. A The same parts are again involved in the case 40 of the second example illustrated by Figures 6 and '7, the difference between this and the rst example being that the recess providing the cup 5 extends down the side 4 to a maximum depth centrally ofthe recess, this pointy being indicat- 45 .ed at 5a.

The` advantage of this shape is that the welding metal puddles first centrally of the weld, this desirable effect permitting the rail to attain the proper temperature, and if cold welding is apt to take place it will be localized at this 50 point.

The third example, illustratedby Figures 8 through 11, constitutes vanother AWell known `type of bond but is distinguished by embodying the saine features included by the first example. In 55` the interests of avoiding confusion, similar nu merals are used on all equivalent parts exceptV that they are followed by the letter a` for purposes of identification.

'I'his third example involves a further distin- 60- operative as a retainer for molten welding metal.

Figure 10 shows the terminal vertically installed, while Figure 11 shows it installed at an angle so that the conductor I extending away therefrom can clear the type of fish-plate which projects to an extent necessitating some such arrangement.

In the case of the modification of this third example, the ends of the conductor IL with its surrounding ferrule 2B are butt-welded to the terminal 3a at an angle so that it is not necessary to rock the' terminal head on its rounded edge surface 9 at all times. Such rocking can be resorted to, however, in those instances Where joint bars project extreme distances.

It will be understood that all of the examples involve substantially the same advantages except for the specific features individually possessed, whichr have been described. One common feature is that the cups provided by the recessed terminals, in addition to their function of restraining the fluid welding metal from running away from the weld location, also function as measuring cups whereby the same amount of welding metal may be deposited in all instances. I'his is otherwise very difficult for a welder to do, it being remembered that he is working on an extremely -large number of installations and that the amount he deposits is ordinarily solely dependent on his skill and judgment. It is true that various types of molds, detachable shields, etc., have been proposed, but none of these has proved practical in the employment of all the methods of the welding art for eld installation atvwill without some specific change.

We claim:

1. A rail bond for application by electric arcwelding with either steel or copper electrodes or by name-welding with copper ux rods, including a terminal comprising a solid piece of .metal having a rail head tting side and a top that are jointly recessed to provide a cup for receiving molten metal when said side is fitted against a rail, and a stranded conductor having an end fixed to said terminal outside of said cup, said terminal providing a solid wall of metal between said conductor end and said cup s`o that molten metal received by said cup functions only to unite said terminal to the rail, said side and top of said terminal being recessed only in a smoothly curving manner to provide a contour free from corners or projections and thereby preventing arcing between undesirable vpoints during application of the. terminal by electric welding methods.

2. A rail bond for application by electric arcwelding with either steel or copper electrodes 'or by llame-welding with copper flux rods, including a terminal comprising a solid piece of metal having a rail head iitting side and a top'that are jointly recessed to provide a cup for receiving molten metal when said side is fitted against a rail, and a stranded conductor having an end .xed to said terminal outside of said cup, said terminal providing a solid wall of metal between said conductor end and said cup so that molten metal received by said cup functions only to unite said terminal to the rail, said side and top of said terminal being recessed only in a smoothly curving manner to provide a contour free from corners or projections and thereby preventing arcing between undesirable points during application of the terminal by electric by dame-welding with copper iiux rods, inelud-` inf a terminal comprising a solid piece of metal having a rail head fitting side and a top that are jointly.recessed to provide a cup for lreceiving molten metal when said side is fitted against a rail, and a stranded conductor having an end xed to said terminal outside of said cup, said terminal providing .a solid Wall of metal between said conductor end and said cup so that molten metal received by said cup functions only to unite said terminal to the rail, said side and top of said terminal being recessed only in a smoothly curving manner to provide a contour free from corners or projections and thereby preventing arcing between undesirable points during application of the terminal by electric welding methods and being centrally deepened so that molten welding metal received by said cup will initially puddle centrally of the ultimate weld.

4. A rail bond for application by welding, including a terminal comprising a solid piece of metal having a rail head fitting side and a top that are jointly recessed to provide a cup for receiving molten metal when said side is tted against a rail, and avstranded conductor having an end fixed to said terminal outside of said cup, said terminal providing a solid wall of metal between said conductor end and said cup so that molten metal received by said cup functions only to unite -said terminal to the rail,

said side and top of said'teiminal being recessed only in a smoothly curving manner to provide a contour free from corners of projections and Y without affecting the operativeness of said cup.

5. A rail bond for application by welding, including a terminal comprising a. solid piece of metal having a rail head tting side and a top that are jointly recessed to provide a cup for receiving molten metal when said side is fitted against a rail, and a stranded conductor hav,- ing 'an end xed to said terminal outside of said cup, said terminal providing a solid wall of metal between said conductor end and said cup so that molten metal received, by said cup functions only to unite said terminal to the rail, said rail fitting side having an upwardly receding surface permitting said terminal to be rocked to different angles without affecting the operativeness of said cup.

- ARNOLD J.'M1CKERNAN.

ERNEST J. SABOL. 

